Thank you, Inoue
by XHitsuKarinX316X
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki isn't the most popular guy in school. People tease him about his hair, and even though he seems like he doesn't care, he does. He wants someone to be willing to get to know the real him, and finally, someone does after an accident in the classroom. Will this person really be his best friend, or are they just trying to make fun of him? UPDATE AUTHOR'S NOTE! READ!
1. Thank you, Inoue

**Hey guys, enjoy the one-shot!**

I sat in class, more alone than I've ever felt. I scribbled notes onto a piece of paper, trying not to listen to the sick whispers and murmurs around me. The topic of the whispers, me. I didn't do anything to them, so why me? Why now, why in high school, when I have more ahead of me than any of them ever will? I didn't want to look this way, it's not like I chose the way I was, or how I looked. I didn't choose my orange hair…

"Kurosaki, can you answer the question on the board?" called the teacher from the front of the room. I stood up, hearing all of the whispers stop as I turn around to glance at the clock. I stumble past desks and backpacks, pretending that the snickering people aren't really there. As I put my foot down for the next step, I tripped on someone's outstretched leg. I grabbed the object nearest to me. Unfortunately, it wasn't just an object, it was Orihime Inoue. I grabbed her shoulder tight. She let out a quiet squeak as I regained my balance.

I cast my eyes downwards. "Sorry." I said quietly. Inoue didn't say anything. I continued to the front of the room and stopped at the black board. The equation was difficult, but for my mind, it looked like 2+2. I answered the equation with ease, waited while the teacher praised me and the other kids in class called me crude names, and then retreated back to my seat. I spent the next part of math class doodling. I doodled myself without orange hair. I doodled myself standing up for how I look. I knew that none of this would happen though. Every time I dye my hair, it turns out a nasty green color in the end. I don't know why, but it just happens that way, even if we were to bleach my hair. So, after trying a few times, I never did it again.

The end of the day bell rang through the school yard. We all packed up our bags and left the classroom, except for me. "Kurosaki, could you wait a minute? I need to talk to you." Said the teacher.

I wandered up to her desk. "I've been thinking about your incredible skills in almost every class you take. You get all A's in your semester grades, and you rarely ever get any other grade underneath an A-. I think that you should go up a grade, but that's just my opinion. If you want to consider it, I'll give you a few days to think about it, and then I'll talk to you and your parents. Okay?"

"I don't want to move up a grade." I said bluntly. The teacher frowned.

"Okay, just… think about it, alright? I think that this would be an amazing opportunity for you." I nodded, but didn't smile. I wasn't going to move up a grade, and that was final. I slid out the door of the classroom, and walked down the hallways, ignoring ever rude comment that seemed to just waterfall out of people's mouths. I walked out the door of the school and began walking home.

"Um, Kurosaki-kun!" I heard a shrill voice say behind me. I didn't bother to turn around. It was probably just another person trying to make fun of me. "Kurosaki-kun! Wait up!" Someone grabbed my shoulder. I could handle someone making comments about me, but when they raised a hand against me, that was when I defended myself. I grabbed the person's wrist and turned around threateningly.

"Inoue-san!" I said, dropping her wrist. I bowed my head. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else." I mumbled.

"It's, um, okay." She said, holding her wrist. "In class, what happened… Are you okay?" I took a step back and my eyes widened.

"Um, sure." I said. No one ever asked me this, except for the members of my family. Inoue smiled.

"I'm glad." I began to turn around when she grabbed my shoulder again. "Um, well… you've seemed lonely, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming over and having dinner or something with me at my house?" she asked, her cheeks flushing.

"I-I don't know. It's probably not-"

"Please Kurosaki-kun? It would be fun, I promise." She smiled again. I blinked. Was this really happening?

"Well, it's just that, I've got homework…"

"But Kurosaki-kun, I didn't tell you _when_ we were having dinner." She giggled. This girl was being awfully strange.

"Did someone put you up this?" I whispered. Inoue frowned and raised her eyebrows.

"N-no. Why would they?" she asked quietly.

"Because. Don't you notice the crude remarks, the rude comments, the stupid pranks and the idiotic mimicking that people to do me?"

"I-I do, but why do they make fun of you?" I sighed.

"My hair, inoue-san, my hair. It's orange. That's why." This girl was awfully clueless.

"Oh, well… I like your hair. It's cool like an, ummmm… an orange! Oranges are good, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." I said warily. "Look, I've got to get home, thanks for talking, but-"

"I'll see you on Friday night for dinner at my apartment, okay?" I groaned inwardly. Inoue never knew when to stop, did she? But, at least she was trying.

"Fine." I said, turning around. "Thank you, Inoue-san."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I threw my book bag onto the kitchen table. No one was home, again. I didn't care. I was always left home alone after school. Karin had soccer practice, my dad was in the clinic next door, and Yuzu was tutoring an elementary school kid. It wasn't unusual that I didn't do much during the week. On the weekends, I might take Karin and Yuzu to lunch or something, and on the weekdays, I studied and did homework. I didn't hang out with the minimal friends I had. Even they teased me about my hair, so I tried to avoid going on outings with them.

I ran my hands through my curse of orange hair and plopped onto the couch. It was a Wednesday, and I didn't have any homework. I had finished it all in class during personal time. Personal time was when we could get done anything we needed before going to each class. I didn't talk with fellow classmates, I just sat back and did assignments so I wouldn't have to do them at home.

I didn't want to watch TV. I just wanted to sit and relax. I laid my head on the armrest and stretched my body out across the couch so I was laying on my back. I closed my eyes and began to drift off into sleep when, _'ding' 'dong'._

I jumped up, groaning. I went to get the door and when I opened it, I almost fell backwards. It was Inoue, and she looked just as beautiful as ever.

"I-Inoue,"

"Hi Kurosaki-kun! I just wanted to swing by and give you this!" She held out a package to me.

"Um, thanks?" I said. The 'thanks' part came out more of a question but it was only because of the mere surprise and awe I was in. One of the most popular girls came to visit me, and give me a package? Why? I suddenly became guarded.

"Well, don't just look at me! Open it!" she smiled.

"Okay…" I pulled back a corner of the package. Nothing happened. I pulled back another corner, nothing. Another corner was flipped, and nothing happened. I pulled back the fourth corner, and the wrapping came off of the object completely. It was a surprise to see what it was. It wasn't a lame prank, and it wasn't an insult.

"Wow Inoue, I don't know what to say." I said, holding the object in my hand.

"I saw it and thought of you! Isn't it adorable?" it was a stuffed animal. It looked to be an orange kitten.

"It's great." I said, examining it. "Thank you Inoue, no one has ever gotten me a present as… thoughtful as this." I said, trying to sound happy. Inoue clasped her hands together.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't like it! I wanted to get you something nice. I hope it doesn't offend you. It's just so adorable, and it's the awesome color of your hair, so…"

"Inoue, I love it. It doesn't offend me, but I have to say, the orange looks better on him than on me." I chuckled. _Stupid! You idiot, what's your problem? 'It looks better on him." Now she's going to hate me!_

"No, I think it looks good on both of you!" she said. "I never knew you were so funny!" She said, laughing. I smiled. Inoue didn't know the half of it. I was the butt of everyone's jokes at school.

"Thanks," suddenly, I did the unexpected. "Do you maybe want to come in and have a soda, or something? It's hot outside, so, you know…" I said awkwardly.

Inoue thought about it. "Sure! Thanks." She walked in, and I moved out of her path to let her by. I closed the door behind her. I led her to the kitchen, where I sat her down in a chair at the bar.

"What kind of soda do you drink?" I asked, trying to be a good host. I didn't really ever have guests over, so it was sort of new to me.

"I drink anything _but_ grape soda." I smiled.

"Okay, anything _but _grape soda coming up." I didn't know why I was being so natural around Inoue. I just hoped that she didn't think I was being stupid. She giggled. Never mind… she seemed to be even more outgoing than me. I wouldn't even laugh at the joke I just made. Maybe she was just being nice… I crouched into the fridge and pulled out two cans of Cola. I shut the fridge door and turned around to find Inoue smiling intently at me.

"Um, Inoue?" I said, snapping her out of her daze.

"Sorry, was I staring? I'm awfully tired today." She said, blushing.

"No, It's just… here's your Cola." I said, sliding it to her. She took it gratefully and opened the top, the can making a satisfying snap and fizz. She took a big long drink and then set it down carefully, sighing contently.

"Thank you Kurosaki-kun. It's very kind of you to let me drink your soda."

"Yeah… no problem." I said sheepishly. I was beginning to feel self-conscious. I took a sip of my Cola and leaned over the counter.

"Kurosaki, I'm sorry for earlier, I didn't mean to force you into coming to dinner with me. It just gets kind of lonely at my apartment." She said, frowning down at her Cola.

"No, I don't mind. It might be a change to get out of the house sometimes." There was a silence. "Why does it get lonely at your apartment if you so popular?" I asked, my throat tightening. I knew that was a stupid thing to ask.

"Well, because I don't like to be popular. It isn't as fun as it sounds. People only like you because of how you look or how you dress. They aren't your real friends."

"Oh. One more thing, why are you being so nice to me?" I slapped myself inwardly. Another stupid question to ask.

"Because, you seem so nice a-and, I-I, well… I think you're really cool. We almost have the same hair color, but people pick on you, but not me, and well-"I smiled and chuckled.

"I get it Inoue. It's really kind of you to think of me. I think you're cool too."

"I'm glad." She glanced at the time. "Oh! Sorry Kurosaki-kun, I've stayed too long. Thank you for the soda." She said, nodding her head and standing up. She left the soda on the counter and rushed to the door.

"bye." I said, waving. When the door closed, I slouched over, sighing in relief. I thought she would never leave. She was fun to talk to, but I had already been so stupid, I didn't want to say anything else. I resumed my spot on the couch, and drifted off to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Friday…._

"Kurosaki, have you thought about my offer to move you up to another class?" the teacher asked.

"Yeah, and I decline." I said, casting my eyes downwards. The teacher sighed.

"Okay, Ichigo. It's your choice, but you'll see. You just don't fit in with these other kids." My heart fell.

"Oh, I get it. Thank you." I said, and with that, I retreated to lunch.

"Kurosaki-kuuunnn!" called Inoue behind me. Usually, I sat alone at the lunch table, but the past few days Inoue had been following me around everywhere. She even stayed at my house for a few hours watching a movie with me. It wasn't really the type of girl I had seen her as, but I didn't object to her attention to me. It was nice. People were giving me more respect, although the still did whisper around me.

"Hi, Inoue." I said, waving her over. Inoue sat down next to me.

'Kurosaki-kun, I was thinking that maybe because it's such a nice day, you might want to sit in the grass at the front of the school today?" She asked, turning towards me.

"Sure." I said. I had grown attached to Inoue. She had some kind of aura around her that attracted me to her in a strange way. She was so nice to me, and we seemed to become best friends almost overnight, so I didn't have a problem with hanging out with her for a while every day.

Inoue stood up and led me to the grass by the wrist. She plopped us down in the middle of the grass, where we could see the small town of Karakura the best. I dumped out my lunch bag and opened a bag of chips.

Inoue's mouth opened into an 'O' shape. "You have those kind!? Ilove those!" She cried, smiling.

"Do you want one?" I asked, holding the bag out to her. She smiled a toothy grin.

"Of course!" she grabbed one and put it into her mouth. "Mmmm, that's good!" she said through a full mouth.

"Yeah, they're pretty great." We sat in silence for a few minutes, eating and listening to the noises around us when Inoue spoke up.

"What did you name that orange cat?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I had to name it?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as well.

"Of course! You can't _not_ name a stuffed animal!" she cried, frowning.

"Okay, well, how about you help me name him." I said, hoping that she would name it instead of me. She seemed like the type of girl that liked to be creative, and she was creative. I figured she would have an easier time figuring out a name than me.

"Okay…" she thought for a moment. "Oh! How about his? Hansamu!"

"Sure." I said. I didn't care about what to name the stuffed animal. It didn't matter what the name was.

"Great!" She said, taking a bite of her bean curd and banana sandwich. She had the most interesting taste I had ever seen.

"I think lunch time is almost over." I said, picking up my things.

"Oh, that's too bad. What do we have next again?" Inoue was also the most clueless girl I've ever met.

"Chemistry." I said, sighing.

"Oh, I hate chemistry. It's too hard." She said, throwing her hands to the ground.

"Yeah, it is a bit difficult, I know."

"Don't say that! You've the smartest kid in class! You get A's in every class, no matter what!" she cried, standing up.

"Okay," I turned around to leave. "Are you coming?"

"Wait up!" she said, gathering her lunch.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I gazed at my closet. _What am I going to wear to Inoue's?_ I asked myself, going through my clothing. Nothing seemed to jump out at me. Inoue had become important to me in such a short time. We were becoming best friends. I didn't want to ruin it by wearing something stupid.

I pulled out some denim jeans, a red and white baseball Tee, and a blue jacket.

"Yuzu!" I called. Yuzu came walking down the hall into my room.

"What Ichi-nii?" she asked, poking her head through the door.

"I'm going on a date with a friend tonight, what do you think of this?" I asked, holding the ensemble up to me.

"No, it's not good enough. Here, let me help you." She said, throwing the clothing aside. She rustled through my closet until she came out with a pair of denim skinny jeans, a tight white T-shirt, and a sea green jacket.

"Skinny jeans, are you sure?" I asked, eyeing the pants.

"I'm sure. Your friend will love them." She said, throwing the clothes at me.

"Thanks Yuzu." I said, shutting the door behind her. I pulled on the clothes that Yuzu had picked out for me and examined myself in the mirror. I took a deep breath and slipped on some shoes. I walked out of the room and walked downstairs. I glanced around the kitchen for Inoue's gift. It was a stuffed kitten with grey eyes and sweet auburn fur. I grabbed Hansamu and Inoue's gift and ran out the door.

"Kurosaki-kun! I'm glad to see you!" Inoue said, opening the door. I stepped inside. The smell of beef stew wafted around me.

"It's good to see you too." I said, smiling. "Here, I have something for you." I pulled out the little auburn kitten from my pocket and handed it to her.

She gasped and took the kitten out of my hand. "Thank you kurosaki-kun! It's so nice of you! It looks just like me!" I laughed.

"I'm glad you like it. I just figured that since you got me Hansamu, you might want one too." I pulled Hansamu out of my pocket.

"Here, they can sit right here while we eat." She said, setting down the two kittens onto a shelf next to each other.

Inoue led me to a small table with a few pillows around it. I sat down on the pillow closest to the left corner of the table, and Inoue sat across from me. "I made this specially for you, Kurosaki-kun." She said, dishing me out some of the hearty stew. It smelled amazing.

She set the bowl in front of me and scooped herself some. I dipped my spoon into the stew and brought it up to my mouth. The aroma made my mouth water. I put the spoon into my mouth and swallowed.

"Inoue, did you make this all by yourself? It's amazing!" I said, taking another spoonful and putting it into my mouth.

"I'm glad it's alright. It's my mom's recipe, she was a good cook." She said, smiling sadly. "It's really the only thing I have left of her."

"That's too bad." I said, hanging my head. "You know, my mom died too," I said, bringing my head up to face her.

"Really? I'm sorry. It's hard, isn't it?" I nodded.

"Yeah, it was pretty crushing. Everyone in our family suffered for a while, but we're okay now." I said, sipping more stew.

"Yeah, it was hard for me and my brother too. He was such a big help to me."

"_Was?_" asked.

"Yeah, he died years ago, when I was eight."

"Inoue, I'm so sorry." I said, frowning. _How could a girl that was so happy all the time have such a depressing past?_

"It's okay. It isn't your fault, and anyway, I'm okay."

"Alright." We ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Kurosaki-kun, do you want to watch a movie?" she asked after we had finished our food.

"Sure, what movie?" I asked, taking the bowls to her sink and rinsing them out.

"I don't know, you can choose one. I'm horrible at choosing movies." She said, closing her eyes and smiling.

"Okay. I'll see what you have." I said after finishing the dishes. "Oh, and Inoue, do you want to put that stew away so you can have leftovers for Monday's lunch?" I asked, looking into the pot. It was still over half full.

"Sure. Thanks." She said. I filled a Tupperware with stew and popped it into the fridge.

We had decided on an old romance movie. We had cuddled up on the couch with a mountain of blankets and sodas. Inoue cried during sad parts, and I laughed during cheesy parts. Spending time with Inoue definitely beat being alone on a Friday night. It grew extremely late. The movie was longer than I had thought it would be. I felt my eyelids beginning to droop as time went on. We both laid down on her couch, and she had fallen asleep on my chest. I could feel her steady breathing and her rhythmic heartbeat. She mumbled in her sleep. It was cute. As I listened to her sweet breathing, I found myself drifting off every few minutes. I would nod off, and then wake up abruptly. But soon, sleep got the better of me, and I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke the next morning to something wet on my chest. I looked down. Inoue was still there, lounging over me. She had her mouth wide open, and a pool of drool was beginning to form on my T-shirt.

"Inoue," I said, nudging her. "Inoue, wake up!" I said loudly. She woke up quickly and fell off the couch, landing with a thud on the floor.

"What time is it, Kurosaki?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Nine o'clock." I said, doing the same.

"Oh darn, I was going to go shopping for groceries this morning." She said, standing up. She looked down at me. "You fell asleep here?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yeah, sorry." I said.

"No, it's okay. I don't ca- wait, did I do that?" she said, pointing to the huge wet spot on my chest.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal." She didn't think so…

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to drool all over you! I'm sorry, I'm so stupid, I'm sorry!" she said quickly.

"I don't care, it's just drool. Everyone does it." I said, sitting up.

"Okay, you're sure, right?"

"Yes, Inoue, I'm sure." I said, smiling groggily.

She seemed to calm down about it after that. I had eaten breakfast with her, and she offered to walk me home.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." I said.

"No really, I want to." And that was that. She walked me home, and we talked all the way.

I had never been happier in my life. She was really becoming my best friend. She meant the world to me now, and I knew that we couldn't, and wouldn't, stay just best friends for long. I felt like there was something more, something _deeper,_ to us than just friends. She had friended me, even when I had been the most unpopular guy in school. She was truly a good person. She had made me feel special, and made me feel more comfortable around other people, so the least I could to was to thank her.

"Thank you, Inoue." I said.

"No problem," she said, looking at me. We walked for a moment. "Wait, for what?" I laughed. There was definitely something more than just friends between us.

**Soooooo, how was it? Did everyone like it, or was it horrible? I know, I know, no romance stuff. I wanted to write a serious one for once. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	2. Second chapter? Author's note

**Hey! Soooo… you guys are probably wondering why I'm writing this. Well, I just figured that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I could add a second chapter? I've been thinking awful hard about it, and I think it would be a good idea. If you guys want a second chapter please review for it. Just in case you guys don't want a second chapter, I'll add the author's note right below this, just to end the story.**

**Okay… I've never actually written an author's note, so I'm sorry if the author's note is the complete opposite of what it's supposed to be… -_-* Anyway, I think that I'll start by telling you guys the reasoning behind the story.**

**I wrote this because as I watched bleach, I noticed that he was bullied about his hair when he was a kid. I wanted to see if I could turn things around a bit. Ichigo and Inoue didn't really become friends until he had gotten his shinigami powers, so I changed his story so that he never became a shinigami. Just a reminder, I don't own Bleach… :) Anyway, I wanted Ichigo and Inoue to have something more than they have in the series. Inoue secretly loved Ichigo to death in the series, but Ichigo didn't show the same feelings for her. I wanted Ichigo to be in Inoue's shoe's, to make it so Ichigo loved Inoue, but Inoue didn't express the same feelings. **

**Also, I noticed in a lot of fanfictions that Ichigo was always the popular kid. I've read a very minimal amount of fanfictions where Ichigo isn't popular, so I decided to add to that "section" of fanfictions. **

**I thank all of you who reviewed, followed, or favored me and my story. Please tell me if you would want me to add another chapter. (:**

**Thank you! **

** -XhitsuKarinX316X**


	3. Coffee Soaked Roses

**Hey you guys! I'm so glad you guys agreed with my making another chapter for Thank you, Inoue! I got so many reviews about it almost minutes after posting it! Thank you! ;) Enjoy and review!**

I sat at lunch with Inoue and a few of her friends eating a sandwich and drinking some orange soda. School had improved more now that Inoue was there by my side. She helped me ignore the rude comments that people said. Whenever she was around she would stand up for me, and it taught a few people to back off, but some didn't stop the way others did. I didn't mind it as much, but sometimes it still stung.

Inoue and I were inseparable. We were together every minute of every day, during school, at home, and sometimes we watched movies until three in the morning and fell asleep at each other's places. Inoue improved my life by 100%. I could never ask for a better friend. Not only was she a good friend, she was beautiful too. Every day I was with her, I found myself falling deeper in love with the odd auburn haired girl. I never told her though, I was too afraid. I didn't know what she would think. I was afraid that she would think our friendship too awkward and stop talking to me. I didn't want that. I had just gotten my best friend, and if I lost her, I would go right back to my original state.

Inoue didn't know how much she had helped me at all. I kept trying to tell her by getting her little gifts like the cute little kitten dolls that we had gotten for each other, but she was so kind, she was oblivious to the generous things that she did. Inoue was kind, but she was strange as well, but in a good way. She had an odd sense of humor and an even weirder sense of taste. That's why I liked her. She was different and individual, just like me.

My family saw that my moods had improved since Inoue had friended me. I wasn't alone all the time, I started talking to them more, and I started to participate in family activities more frequently. When I was at home and not with Inoue, that is. We had found our favorite spots to hang out at over the few months that Inoue and I had been friends.

We liked going to the movies, going to her apartment, sitting in the grass at the park under the oak tree, and we liked sitting outside of a small coffee shop at the end of Karakura Street. The coffee shop was the most frequent 'get together' place at the time. We would talk for hours, from sun up to sun down. With the end of school less than a week away though and all of our finals finished, we could talk as long as we wanted.

OoOoOoO

I sat in class writing down notes from the board. I had refused my teacher's offer to move up a class, so everything that I was learning was fairly easy for me. I didn't have the problem of understanding (a4+9z*b7)-(17x+b9)= If A was seven, Z was twelve, and B was 9. It was a middle school problem that most kinds in my class couldn't even dream of solving. I would just sit back and snicker silently as they struggled with such an easy equation.

Inoue was able to come up to my intellectual level as I tutored her. Before we became friends, she was smart, but she still struggled in different subjects. I was glad that I was able to help her with her schooling, it just meant that we were able to spend more time together. I had no objection to that.

The bell rung, making me jump. Everyone shuffled their bags and papers, making the classroom loud with chatter. "Okay class, don't forget that in just three days the Summer Spice dance is going to be happening. Don't forget to get your tuxedos and dresses, and don't forget the dates!" called the teacher as everyone left.

Everyone chatted about the dance as they exited the classroom to leave school. "Kurosaki-kun! Wait up!" called Inoue as I turned to leave. I paused while Inoue gathered her things. When she caught up with me we started walking. "So Kurosaki-kun, who are you going to the dance with?" she asked, staring ahead.

"Well, Inoue, I don't know anyone that would go with me." Inoue smiled.

"I would go with you!" she said happily. I blushed.

"R-really? Well, who are you going with?"

"You'll have to guess!" I laughed.

"Okay, give me some hints."

"He's tall, and handsome, and really, really nice!" I frowned.

"Oh, well, I hope that he asks you soon." I said. She frowned as well.

"Yeah, me too." She said quietly. There was a silence before she spoke up again. "I got the most beautiful dress! Did you get your outfit for Friday night at the dance?" I nodded.

"Yeah, but I didn't think that I would wear it. I got it just in case." I said, squinting up at the sky as we exited the building. "I bet you're beautiful in that dress." I said. She blushed a deep red.

"Thanks." She replied sheepishly. "I bet you'll look handsome in your suit!" she cried after the blush had drained from her cheeks.

It was my cue to blush again. "Thanks." There was another extremely awkward silence as we walked down the pavement to Inoue's apartment. It was the first time in months that it was hard for me to talk to Inoue. It was odd. We walked in silence for a moment until we came to the door of her apartment. She gave me a smile and a nod.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. See you tomorrow." She said before disappearing into the door of her apartment.

"Bye Inoue, I lo- I mean, see you tomorrow." I had to catch myself before I said "I love you." I sighed as she disappeared. I made my way home alone, thinking about the guy she was talking about. I wondered who he was, if I knew him, or if he deserved someone as beautiful and wonderful as Inoue. I just hoped whoever he was, he would treat Inoue well at the dance. I couldn't imagine any person in the world being unkind to Inoue.

When I finally made it home, my hands shoved in my pockets and my book bag feeling heavier than usual.

"Hello Ichi-nii!" called Yuzu from the kitchen.

"Hi Yuzu." I said as I dropped my bag onto the kitchen table. I kicked off my sneakers and shed my jacket. "Did you have a good day at school?" I asked, slouching onto the couch.

"Yeah, how about you? The usual day?" she asked, giving me a concerned look.

"It was…good." I said bluntly as I surfed through the channels on TV. Nothing interesting was on, so I just landed my decision on an old anime channel.

"I'm glad. Ever since you and that girl became friends school has been so much better for you." She smiled.

"Yeah, Inoue's great." I said, staring off at nothing. "You know, I'm thinking about asking her to the dance." I blurted.

"Ichi-nii, that's great!" Yuzu cried, giving me a toothy smile. "When are you going to ask her?" I had to think about that. Talking about things like that with Inoue was hard for me.

"Soon," I took a deep breath. "probably tomorrow." Yuzu gave a squeal.

"Yay! I'm so excited! I've been waiting for you to get a girl like Inoue!" She ran out of the room. "I've got to record this!" I laughed. Yuzu loved to keep record of everything big or new that happened to Karin, my Dad and I. She was such a cute sister. The phone rang. I stood up quickly and grabbed it.

I clicked the talk button. "Kurosaki-kun, is that you?" called a voice on the other end.

"Uh, yeah. This is Kurosaki Ichigo, is this Inoue?"

"Yeah! I was wondering if you would want to go to the coffee shop with me?" she asked happily.

"Sure, I'll meet you there in five, okay?" I said, hanging up the phone. My heart jumped. It would be the perfect time to ask Inoue to the dance. I was suddenly nervous for a date that was usually a no-brainer. I had to get something to give her, something like… flowers! Red roses would be perfect! I grabbed my wallet, sneakers, and my jacket.

I raced out the door. "I'll be back later Yuzu!" I called behind me before I shut the front door. I ran down the steps and down the street. There was conveniently a flower shop just around the corner from the coffee shop. I ran a little ways until I came to the flower shop.

"A dozen roses please." I said, pulling out a twenty dollar bill. The flower shop owner handed me the dozen roses and took my twenty dollar bill. He handed me back four dollars and I thanked him and took off, cradling the flowers in my arms. I raced to the coffee shop. When I got a few feet away, I saw Inoue drinking a coffee and glancing at her watch at a nearby table.

"Inoue!" I said, hiding the roses underneath my jacket.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She said, waving and setting down her coffee. I sat down next to her. "I ordered your favorite!" I smiled.

"Thanks Inoue." I said, taking a sip of the coffee. It burned my tongue and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I swallowed and cleared my throat. "Inoue, I have something important to ask you." I said, squeezing my palms together and sighing nervously.

"Okay," she said, smiling. "Go ahead and ask."

"Alright," I took a shaky breath and cleared my throat. "Orihime Inoue, will you go to the dance with me?" I asked, pulling out the roses. Inoue smiled nervously.

"Well, Kurosaki-kun, you see…."

"Yeah?" I said, my hopes falling.

"Someone else already asked me." I felt myself choke inwardly.

"Oh, u-um, who is it?" I asked, feeling my soul crumble.

"Ishida Uryu. I'm sorry, he asked me when he passed by me on my way to the coffee shop."

"Oh, it's okay."

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry." I shook my head.

"It's okay, Inoue. I understand." I said sadly. I dropped the roses on the table.

"The roses are lovely. Maybe another girl will accept them."

"Yeah, maybe." I said, giving a half-hearted smile. I didn't want to stay and talk. "Uh, Inoue, I-I think that I need to go home and help Yuzu with dinner. It was nice of you to invite me to talk and drink Coffee." I said, standing up, grabbing my flowers and dropping a ten dollar bill on the table for the coffee she ordered for me. I left before she could say anything.

OoOoOoO

I flopped onto my bed, sighing. I felt completely humiliated. I was ten minutes too late to ask Inoue to the dance. I felt so stupid. There was a knock at the door.

"Ichi-nii? Are you okay?" Yuzu said.

"I'm fine Yuzu." I said quietly.

"No you're not. I'm coming in to talk to you." I didn't want to talk about anything right now. I thought of something clever to divert Yuzu from coming into my room.

"Yuzu, I'm naked." I said as Yuzu cracked the door open. She screamed and shut the door.

"Sorry Ichi-nii!" she said, running down the hall. "We'll talk later!" I smiled. It had worked and I was alone. I glanced at the clock. It was getting late. I decided to change into something more comfortable. I took off my graphic tee and changed into basketball shorts. I usually walked around the house with my shirt off. I wasn't self-conscious about how my body looked. For a high school kid, I was pretty cut. I worked out because I had to keep up with Karin every day. She made me play soccer with her every afternoon I was free, and back a few months ago, I was free a lot. I usually wore big T-shirts, so no one really knew that I had muscle tone. I prided myself on it secretly, only because it was the one thing I could pride myself on.

I walked out of my room, my eyes down. Yuzu was waiting at the end of the hall. "Okay, now can we talk?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Sure, whatever." I sighed. "Inoue turned me down. I asked her. I even got her roses, but she was already going with someone. I figured that would happen. She's gorgeous, what guy wouldn't want to go out with her?" I said, finishing the conversation before it even began. I raced down the stairs and sat at the kitchen counter. The cold granite on my bare skin made me shiver. There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" called Yuzu from upstairs. I heard her footsteps down the stairs and towards the front door. The door opened.

"Hello Yuzu-chan, is Ichigo there?" said Inoue. I jumped. _Crap… It's Inoue, what am I going to do?_ I thought. I just sat there, I didn't do anything.

"Let me check." Yuzu said, coming into the kitchen. She came really close to me and then whispered, "Ichi-nii, what do you want me to do?" she said seriously. "let her in?"

"No! don't do that! I can't face her now!" I whispered. I heard footsteps into the kitchen.

"Sorry, I heard whispering, and I had to know what was going on." She said.

"It's just fine!" Yuzu cried, running out of the room. _Thanks for the help, Yuzu._ I said to myself, growling inwardly.

"Inoue, come sit down." I said, standing up and leading her to the couch. When she was seated, a blush crept across her cheeks.

"Kurosaki-kun, I didn't know that you um…worked out." She said sheepishly. I looked down.

"Oh… sorry, I'll go get a shirt." I said.

"No, it's fine, I don't mind." She said quietly. I sat down next to her slowly.

"So Inoue, what brings you here?" I asked, an unexpected tone of ire in my voice. She cleared her throat.

"I just wanted to say sorry. You just left so fast, and I didn't get the chance, so I just, I don't know. I'm just sorry." She said, taking my hands. "The truth is Kurosaki-kun, I wanted _you_ to ask me to the dance, but I couldn't turn down Uryu, he's just too nice." She whispered forlornly. I nodded.

"I already told you, I understand. There isn't anything I want more for you than you to be happy." I growled.

"You don't sound like you understand, you sound unhappy! I don't want you to be unhappy! I want you to be happy because, well," she yelled.

"Because why?!" I cried, squeezing her hands. She took a deep breath and gazed into my eyes softly.

"Because, well… You know what, I shouldn't have come." She said, looking away. She grabbed her purse and ran out the door, not giving me time to shout to her.

"Inoue." I said, falling onto the couch. "I love you so much." I said to myself. I wished that I could tell her that. Maybe that would change her mind about going to the dance with Ishida. Yuzu came in.

"So, how did it go?" she said, creeping closer to me.

"Horrible." I said, closing my eyes.

"Oh, sorry." Yuzu said before retreating back to her room. I found myself falling asleep quickly, and before I knew it, I was dreaming about Inoue and her beautiful personality.

OoOoOoO

School was hard. Inoue and I didn't talk for the two days after I had asked her to go to the dance with me. People noticed that I wasn't clinging to her side, and began to pick on me again. I started to revert back to my old depressed self, I didn't want to do anything but be alone for hours on end. As I watched everyone else chatter joyfully about who asked them to the dance, I sat back quietly and sighed pitifully.

I didn't have anyone to go with, and I didn't have anyone to talk to. I wanted Inoue back so badly. I found her hanging around Ishida more and more, his arm around her shoulders, her lips on his cheek often times. But when I gazed into her eyes, I saw that she didn't want to be so near to Ishida, she wanted to be alone as well. I was such a coward. I was too afraid to talk to Inoue and fix up our friendship.

I walked home alone, Inoue always trailing alone a few strides behind me. I wanted to turn around and say, "Inoue, I love you!" but, I didn't. I never did. Time went by, and Friday night came. School ended quickly, and I was still alone. I wasn't planning on going to the dance, but Yuzu had recommended I go out and try and make friends like Inoue. I didn't have much of a choice but to go. When Yuzu made up her mind, she made up her mind. It didn't matter what I said, she would always something to counter my argument.

I glanced into my closet. I didn't want to wear a stuffy suit. I wasn't going with anyone anyway, so I just pulled on some kakis and a white dress shirt and tie. I didn't do anything to my hair, I just slipped on some brown dress shoes and slipped my wallet into my pocket before leaving and got into my dad's car, driving away to the dance, _alone._

When I got to the school, kids were pouring in and out of the doors, making out on benches, holding hands, and wearing expensive dress clothing. The girls were wearing exposing dresses that were bejeweled from top to bottom and the guys were wearing stupid suits that made them look like overdressed penguins.

I was glad I had come in what I had because all of the guys were looking uncomfortable and tight. I hopped out of the car and walked leisurely into the school. Everyone was dancing to a fast upbeat song. It was dim, and I passed many couples lip locking around the perimeter of the gym. I gazed around for Inoue. When I finally spotted her, her beauty outshone every girl in the room. I sighed. I just wished I could be by her side. Something was odd about her though. She was sitting alone, looking like she was going to cry. I looked around for her date, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I strode over to her side. She looked up.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun, I'm so glad you're here!" She said, springing into my arms. She buried her face in my chest and twisted her hands into my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her.

"What happened, Inoue?" I asked, her name sliding off my tongue pleasantly.

"Ishida, he called right before the dance and told me he wasn't going to make it! I was going to call you, but I thought you would be mad at me!" she began to sob. I felt hot tears begin to seep into my shirt. I pulled her away from me and looked at her up and down.

"Inoue, you look beautiful. You should just forget about Ishida, he doesn't deserve you." It was true, she was beautiful she always did, but tonight, she shone with radiance. She was wearing a long strapless dress with a bejeweled sash. The dress was a silky black, and it hugged her curves.

"Kurosaki-kun-" I ran my hands up her arms.

"Orihime, call me Ichigo." I said, smiling. She smiled up at me, the tears beginning to cease. The fast rhythm pop music began to slow down into a romantic slow song. I looked up, the lights beginning to dim into a dark blue.

"Okay, Ichigo." She said my name slowly and softly. I pulled her in.

"Will you dance with me, Orihime?" I asked. I felt her nod on my chest. I pulled her out onto the dance floor. We swayed to the music, spinning in slow circles. Orihime laid her head on my chest, closing her eyes. We danced for a moment.

"Orihime?" She looked up at me, a genuine happiness sparkling in her eyes.

"Yes, Ichigo?" she replied quietly.

"I love you." I said before pulling her in for a gentle kiss. When we separated, she smiled.

"I love you too." She said before pulling me in for another kiss.

**OKAY! It's done! I'm so glad… anyway, tell me what you think! I made them kiss at the end! YAYAY! Anyway, please please please review! Thanks for reading. Want another chapter, or is this satisfying? Tell me! **

** -XHitsuKarinX316X**


	4. More chapters? Possible sequel?

**Hey everyone! I was just looking through my stories and came across this one I wrote about a month ago, obviously called "Thank you Inoue". Would you guys mind if I just kept writing more chapters on this just randomly? I have other stories to finish, so I might only write one a month, but if you guys really want me to write more, I will. Either that or I'll write a little sequel to it. (:**

**Your suggestions, reviews, and messages are welcome.**

**Thanks!**

** -XHitsuKarinX316X**


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